If you didn't know this before, I am a HUGE Cathy Yardley fan. Like I've loved every single one of her books and I was annoying last year when it came to Role Playing. This one did not disappoint for me.

This book had me squealing, every time they these two were close to each other and kept denying their attraction I was screaming. I loved them. I loved their journey. I loved their friendship and how it developed in to more. I loved the belief they had in each other and how they wanted to grow. I loved the funny moments in this. I was cracking up sometimes.

I loved this book so much and I'll never shut up about it and this author.

I got an e-arc of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
💜 Cozy Romance
🫶🏻 Main Characters in 40s
🏘️ Small Town/Island
💕 Love after loss

Do Me A Favor is a fun contemporary rom com intertwined with the story of starting over. Our MCs are both in their 40s and are trying to find their footing in their new era of life. There was tons of humor, a splash of spice, relatable characters and a nice slow burn.

Willa and Hudson’s relationship developed slowly throughout the story but in doing so, you really get to see them grow individually and then grow together. 🥹

Pick up this cozy romance that is perfect to snuggle with under a blanket on a cool fall day.

From the author of one of my favorite romances, Role Playing, comes another quirky, over 40, rom-com!
This gentle romance is fun and sweet, with just the right amount of spice.

Willa is a widowed 46 year old former cookbook writer trying to find herself.
Hudson is a divorced 41 year old father of two, and a handyman with big dreams of being a Restoration expert.
They meet when Willa finds Hudson's dog Noodle in her garage during a particularly bad rainstorm on an otherwise idyllic Island in the PNW. It turns out they're neighbors! Willa inquired her great aunt's house on the island, and it needs a little fixing up. Enter Hudson the handy man. Turns out having him around also helps Willa get into the mood with her latest cookbook assignment for a cooking influencer known for his sexy recipes.

Tropes: Slow burn, found family, small town, dual POV, later-in-life romance, single dad, forced proximity

While nothing tops Role Playing for me, Do Me a Favor did not disappoint! Willa and Hudson find each other while finding themselves, and it's adorable. They each completely nerd out about their own obsessions, which is utterly relatable. (For Willa, it's food. For Hudson, it's clocks) I loved all the side characters as well, and would definitely read another novel set in this community!
The only thing that kinda fell flat for me was Willa's husband's death, which happens off page but is referenced quite a lot. Oh, and sometimes Hudson says something that seems completely out of the blue since the reader knows but it wasn't apparent that he did yet, but fairly minor quibbles. All in all, a fun light-hearted read!

Thanks to Netgalley, Montlake, and the author for the eARC! Be sure to check this one out next month!

"That's what he felt like, seeing her."

3.5 stars!

This is a good romance for anyone seeking main characters that are not in their 20s. With both main characters in their 40s, it was enjoyable to see characters with more responsibility and sense of self. A major bonus being that the characters are more straightforward and there is less miscommunication and nervous energy that goes around in circles.

The characters chemistry was good. I liked the build up of their chemistry and their dialogue, I would have loved however to have more scenes focusing on the two main characters involving the cooking and the playful nature of it (all personal preference). I would have loved for more scenes to showcase the sparks between them and just really highlight the romance between them, but the scenes we did get I enjoyed.

I enjoyed the set up of the plot and how the story and the characters developed with it. I thought that the majority of the story flowed nicely, the pacing allowed for the story to be an easy read. I think the ideas and themes of grief in the story worked well and are reflected well in the characterisation and character motivations.

The only things that hold me back a little bit is the fact that there were different things and sub-plots happening in the story, and I just wanted them to be expanded or to go somewhere with more purpose. I would have loved seeing more of the main female character's job and what was happening there, how that impacted her and the side characters, and just an overall greater development of things outside the slow burn of the romance. I think because I enjoyed the cooking aspect of the book so much I just wanted more out of it.

Thank you to Jannie for sending me an eARC, I am voluntarily leaving a review.

Willa moves into her great aunt's house on an island off the state of Washington. She's a widow starting over. She meets Hudson the local handyman. There's an instant attraction.

I enjoyed this book. There was some heartwarming and funny parts. Overall, a good Romance about "older" characters.

What a lovely surprise!
It's a sweet second chance at love story between two characters than dreamed about being something else but love and life had other plans for them,
The two of them have a bittersweet past but they find comfort, friendship and love in each other.
It's well written, easy to read and leaves you with a smile. A perfect summer read.

This was definitely more slow burn than I care to read these days but what I really appreciated about this book was that these are 2 very grown up people who have lived full lives (he's 41, she's 46) with a lot of heartache and sacrifice and grief and they acted like adults, they were honest about their feelings and their fears and their dreams and they didn't rush into things, they took their time, they were thoughtful and intentional and it was really lovely. I liked the side characters, loved the dog, loved both MCs, all in all, it was a very sweet and tender romance.

Content notes: grief related to widowhood, loss of husband due to diabetes related complications

2.5 rounded up to 3

This was my first time reading this author and I enjoyed the story even though I had a few issues with it. A few things I loved was the fact the MC's were both older. I believe she's around 47, and he's 41. I've found it harder and harder to relate to younger MC's, so seeing an older pair was really refreshing. I enjoyed the fact both were for the most part, normal people. There wasn't a billionaire to be seen. While I do enjoy those books, sometimes I just want two people who happen to run into each other in a normal way. The meet cute here with Noodle the dog was fantastic.

We find out that Willa is a widow and her husband had T1D and that it was basically a death sentence. That just...isn't how things work? T1D is also called Juvenile diabetes and it does sound like the husband in this book was diagnosed young and then just said "fuck it" as he got older and his poor choices caused his death? I just found this mind blowing. There are professional athletes that are T1D (Mark Andrews, Baltimore Ravens). There are people out there just living their lives who have this diagnosis, so to exaggerate it this much just felt weird and off. I honestly kept going back in the book thinking I missed a second diagnosis of something else. If you wanted to have the FMC be a widow, there are hundreds of other ways that could've happened that would've made more sense.

Another issue I have is the fact that the book kinda just ends? I wanted to know more about how Hudson put his clock maker courses to work! I mean, the dude goes away for a year, then returns with his certificates, and we never see him actually use any of those skills?!

There were a few editing/plot issues I noticed too. Like Hudson mentions something about "after your husband died" but she never told him about that on page. And that feels like something that should be on page for sure. And Willa never asks Hudson if he was married/divorce/widowed either. I'm guessing it just came up off page somewhere?

All in all, I'll probably give this author another chance but I'm going to be curious about how other reviewers talk about the T1D aspect and if the author ever comments on it.

📚 Review: Do me a favor by Cathy Yardley
⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Random thoughts…..

I liked Hudson - and part of that is his family reflecting back on him. The openness of them.

I didn’t become invested in the characters and their relationship until ch 17. It’s the first time she did something relatable - up until then I found she was annoying.

Love the cover art. She’s exactly as described. And how can a cartoon character man be sexy at a door lean?? Really it’s not fair. But it reinforces that Hudson just has the natural sexiness and charm. That he completely uses to his advantage to fluster and melt Willa. And I identify with Willa so hard in that. Flirting-what’s that???

And Noodle is the best name for a dog.

And my favorite line? “It was so much better to just eat cheese and avoid reality for a while”.

Thanks to NetGalley, the author and publisher for providing an advanced copy!

⭐⭐⭐💫

TROPES
🌶️ Small Town
🌶️ Single Dad
🌶️ Found Family

I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two MCs, Willa and Hudson. It was pretty similar to the one from Role Playing, which wasn’t a bad thing since these characters distinctively had different personalities. Both are trying to learn to put themselves first in life, which is harder than it sounds once you’ve already lived so much of it.

I love all the mentioned recipes. I have always enjoyed learning new ones and watching cooking shows on TV, so it was really fun to read as Willa tried to develop different recipes with a certain aesthetic in mind.

What let me down a touch was how Willa’s husband’s death was handled. It’s off-page and in the past, but I feel like it wasn’t actually fleshed out. It’s implied that it’s from complications related to diabetes, but also that it’s something he knew his whole life that would give him a shorter life than most. Considering discussions of diabetes in other books I’ve read, this fell a bit flat for me since I believe it impacted Willa’s characterization.

Got to love books with older MCs! such a cozy soft hearted read! I love the fact that the MCs have jobs that are not so popularly used in Romance books. such a cute read, definitely recommend you give it a go!

DO ME A FAVOR is a small-town, later-in-life romance set in an idyllic island on the PNW. when willa inherits her great aunt catherine's house, she took it as the perfect chance to start over after her husband's death. she's struggling to get back into her old career as a cookbook ghostwriter, because her latest project—a cookbook for a "sexy chef" influencer—has her completely stuck. but when she meets her new neighbor, the charming handyman hudson, their sizzling chemistry simply cannot be ignored... and, as a bonus, it provides the much-needed inspiration for her work. but with both of their pasts to contend with, willa and hudson navigate what it means to start a relationship as two forty-something year olds.

as a very firm proponent of later-in-life romances, i absolutely loved willa and hudson's relationship and how they fell for each other. not only that, but i really appreciated that the book didn't just focus on their romance—instead, it also talked about willa dealing with her grief over losing her husband and the series of events that followed, along with hudson's experience raising twins as a very young single father.

read if you like:
- older MCs
- it takes a village
- so much good food

thanks to netgalley and montlake for the advanced copy! DO ME A FAVOR comes out july 23rd.

I really enjoyed this book a lot. I didn't enjoy it quite as much as I did Role Playing, but it is still a solidly good book. The way this book deals with grief was very heavy. At the same time, Cathy did a great job of making sure that it didn't weigh down the story too much. Our hero is completely a golden retriever style hero, who wants nothing more than to take care of our heroine, and help her find her happiness. He wasn't overbearing, but he was there for her in a way that she truly needed. It was very believable to me that this romance could in fact have been based on real people. They felt very real. Though I may not have connected to this one quite as deeply as the previous book by her that I read, I would still solidly recommend reading it, as it is a wonderful installment in her catalogue. Just make sure you are ready for a book that deals with grief and loss directly on page.

Do Me a Favor- a standalone

Publication date: 7/23/24, Read 6/13/24

Format: e-Book, 299 kindle

🙏🏾 Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for this ARC❤️ ! I voluntarily give my honest review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Setting: Pugent Sound, WA

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Adult Romance

Tropes: small town, slow burn, dual POVs, love after 40 yrs. old, opposites attract

CHARACTER DESCRIPTION

Willa Liev-Endicott-widower, ghost cookbook writer, moved from CA to WA after she inherited great aunt's house.

Hudson Daws-divorced handyman w/ 2 adult children, lives w/ his parents on a farm

Patrick-neighbor and Hudson's nemesis

Noodle-Hudson's son dog

H /h RELATIONSHIP INFO

OW/OM/Exes: Hudson's ex wife, and Willa's deceased husband Patrick

AUTHOR OVERVIEW: Cathy Yardley-new to me author

PERSONAL OVERVIEW

Overall Rating: 4/5

Do You Recommend This Book: yes

Will You Re-read This Book: maybe

Would You Read More Books by this Author: yes

COMMENTS/NOTES: This was feel good romance between adults. They've dealt with real life with Willa losing her husband and having financial problems; and Hudson raising two children with his parents help. Once Willa asked for help and Hudson took time for himself they were able to get their HEA.

Hudson and Willa are interesting, intriguing, relatable, complex, wounded, entertaining, captivating characters. I enjoyed them as individuals and a couple. They captured my attention from the start and held it until the very end. I enjoyed the path their romance took to get to their HEA and the growth of these characters throughout the course of the story. The secondary characters added to the fabric of the story and my enjoyment – including the animals 😊. The story is easy to read and get into.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This story follows Hudson, a local handyman, and Willa, a recent widow who is tasked with ghostwriting a cookbook, as they rediscovery themselves and adjust to new terrain. I found myself really rooting for both of them to be successful, as well as falling in love with each other from the beginning. Watching Willa being so strong and sassy, especially towards some misogynistic men was definitely a highlight! The side characters in the story really added to the realness of Hudson and Willa, while also providing the space for them to highlight their personality. The story was really well paced, as well. As with her previous book, Role Playing, Yardley does an amazing job with her slow-burn, will they/won't they tug and pull. I found the third act conflict to be really well done and the ending of the story to be really satisfying. I'm glad I was able to read this book in the summertime! I would rate this one a 4.5 star read.

Thank you so much NetGalley, Cathy Yardley and the publisher for providing a copy of the novel in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely adored this book and couldn't get enough of it, it was just so readable.

I totally fell in love with Hudson, the handyman next door, a guy who knows he looks good, but also is determined to treat a woman right. He puts others happiness ahead of his own, and I fell further for him, pretty much with every action, or any time time he spoke.

Willa on the other hand took me a while to fully gel with, but it was clear from the first chapter that she likes dogs, which definitely helped, and I absolutely loved the idea of her being a ghost writer of cookery books, with her latest commission being for someone who just prances about in his videos looking sexy with food.

She however doesn't overly feel sexy herself, and inspiration is lacking, until she gets to know Hudson a bit better, as the heat between them palpable from the first instance. And wow there are some fabulous scenes late in the book.

In fact there are some other great scenes early on, including the incredibly smart way the Willa is able to put people in their place, without even raising her voice. Oh and the first time she meets Hudson's family's goats, is brilliant!

There was a lot for me to love in this book, and I really did, and for me this small island town setting, in the Pacific Northwest was really refreshing in a book, I don't think I've read much set there, and totally loved the vibes I was getting of the island and it's community.

This is now the second book I've read from this author and given how much I have enjoyed both of them, I feel like I will continue to seek her out in the future.

Thank you to Montlake and Netgalley for this copy which I have reviewed voluntarily and honestly.

A lovely romance about moving on and finding real love, Do Me a Favor is sweet-natured, tender and sensual. It's almost a DIK for me.

Willa Lieu-Endicott has moved states to get away from the memories that haunt her of her late husband. A cookbook ghostwriter by trade, she decides to take on a new project after moving to her late Great Aunt Caroline’s house. The project happens to be a chef who went viral thanks to his charm, with his TikTok meals only being a secondary asset. He is clueless in the kitchen, and it’s Willa’s job to make him look talented – and try to write a sexy cookbook.

Hudson Daws lives next door, a divorced single dad with two grown children – and he’s pretty darn sexy. A carpenter by trade, a motorcyclist by choice, he’s got a confederation of rambunctious animals. He is, in short, tempting and sexy as all get out.

Willa and Hudson begin doing small favors in trade for one another. Their scarred hearts begin to open to the possibility of new love – but can affection spring anew from their connection? Or will Willa run away and avoid the joys of love?

Do Me a Favor has some charming characters – and some big plot problems. The biggest I had was the novel’s odd treatment of Type 1 diabetes as a panic-inducing death sentence, for that is what took the life of Willa’s husband and is what’s left her forever anxious about losing love. It’s a grim take and from what I understand, blatantly untrue. [Correct - it's a chronic illness that needs to be managed properly, but it's not a death sentence - Ed.]

There are also pacing problems that keep Hudson and Willa’s romance from developing evenly. But ahh, what a romance it is! I love older heroes and heroines, and these two are delightful specimens. Everything about them is cute, and I loved the way the author uses her animal characters to draw the pair together. And I had no idea cookbook ghostwriting was a thing, so it was quite interesting to delve into the industry.

Do Me a Favor is charming, but not perfect. Readers could do worse!

Do Me A Favor is a standalone Yardley contemporary romance that I very much enjoyed!

A cookbook ghost writer inherits a house on a Pacific Northwest island, where there just happens to be a sexy single-dad handyman. Featuring an endearing dog who brings them together, goats interrupting romantictimes, lots of food, and following your dreams.

I particularly liked that the book didn't follow a very typical third-act breakup formula, that both MCs are in their forties, that they were both going through career issues and direction changes that ring true, that the kids (young adults) seemed kinda like real people, and that there wasn't any silly-misunderstanding subplot.

And that they both have just a bit of baggage from the past that isn't super horrible trauma, but that they need to grow through (and do).

Heartily recommended.

A sweet story of a widow (46) and a handyman (41) finding love in their second acts. Willa lost her husband to diabetes several years ago and has just moved to an island in the Pacific Northwest to try and pull the financial pieces of her life back together by getting back to an old gig - ghost writing cookbooks. Hudson is an islander through and through, he's connected to everyone, has fixed something in most of their houses, and has spent his life deferring his dreams to support his kids.

I really related to the way Willa has trouble accepting help because she doesn't want to be indebted to anyone. But she needs help. I also really like the way Hudson, a ladies man, is immediately into Willa, but is super cautious and slow and seduces her through home repair and acts of kindness. Possibly my favorite part was when Willa loosened up after eating too much of a special cookie.

These are two characters who complemented each other very well and it was lovely to see them come together.

I happened to read this while on a weekend trip to some islands in the PNW which was a delightful coincidence.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.